FKBP51 and Cyp40 are positive regulators of androgen-dependent prostate cancer cell growth and the targets of FK506 and cyclosporin A.

Prostate cancer (PCa) growth is dependent on androgens and on the androgen receptor (AR), which acts by modulating gene transcription. Tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) proteins (FKBP52, FKBP51 and Cyp40) interact with AR in PCa cells, suggesting roles in AR-mediated gene transcription and cell growth. We report here that FKBP51 and Cyp40, but not FKBP52, are significantly elevated in PCa tissues and in androgen-dependent (AD) and androgen-independent (AI) cell lines. Overexpression of FKBP51 in AD LNCaP cells increased AR transcriptional activity in the presence and absence of androgen, whereas siRNA knockdown of FKBP51 dramatically decreased AD gene transcription and proliferation. Knockdown of Cyp40 also inhibited androgen-mediated transcription and growth in LNCaP cells. However, disruption of FKBP51 and Cyp40 in AI C4-2 cells caused only a small reduction in proliferation, indicating that Cyp40 and FKBP51 predominantly regulate AD cell proliferation. Under knockdown conditions, the inhibitory effects of TPR ligands, cyclosporine A (CsA) and FK506, on AR activity were not observed, indicating that Cyp40 and FKBP51 are the targets of CsA and FK506, respectively. Our findings show that FKBP51 and Cyp40 are positive regulators of AR that can be selectively targeted by CsA and FK506 to achieve inhibition of androgen-induced cell proliferation. These proteins and their cognate ligands thus provide new strategies in the treatment of PCa.

C/EBPalpha redirects androgen receptor signaling through a unique bimodal interaction.

Nuclear expression of CCAAT enhancer binding protein-alpha (C/EBPalpha), which supports tissue differentiation through several antiproliferative protein-protein interactions, augurs terminal differentiation of prostate epithelial cells. C/EBPalpha is also a tumor suppressor, but in many tumors its antiproliferative interactions may be attenuated by de-phosphorylation. C/EBPalpha acts as a corepressor of the classical androgen response element (ARE)-mediated gene activation by the androgen receptor (AR), but this is paradoxical as the genotropic actions of AR are crucial not only for the growth of the prostate but also for its maintenance and function. We show that DNA-bound C/EPBalpha recruits AR to activate transcription. C/EBPalpha-dependent trans-activation by AR also overrode suppression of AREs by C/EBPalpha elsewhere in a promoter. This mechanism was remarkable in that its androgen dependence was apparently for nuclear translocation of AR; it was otherwise androgen independent, flutamide insensitive and tolerant to disruption of AR dimerization. Gene response profiles and global chromatin associations in situ supported the direct bimodal regulation of AR transcriptional signaling by C/EBPalpha. This unique mechanism explains the functional coordination between AR and C/EPBalpha in the prostate and also shows that hormone-refractory AR signaling in prostate cancer could occur through receptor tethering.

Androgen regulation of soluble guanylyl cyclasealpha1 mediates prostate cancer cell proliferation.

The growth and progression of prostate cancer are dependent on androgens and androgen receptor (AR), which act by modulating gene expression. Utilizing a gene microarray approach, we have identified the alpha1-subunit gene of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) as a novel androgen-regulated gene. A heterodimeric cytoplasmic protein composed of one alpha and one beta subunit, sGC mediates the widespread cellular effects of nitric oxide (NO). We report here that, in prostate cancer cells, androgens stimulate the expression of sGCalpha1. A cloned human sGCalpha1 promoter is activated by androgen in an AR-dependent manner, suggesting that sGCalpha1 may be a direct AR target gene. Disruption of sGCalpha1 expression severely compromises the growth of both androgen-dependent and androgen-independent AR-positive prostate cancer cells. Overexpression of sGCalpha1 alone is sufficient for stimulating prostate cancer cell proliferation. Interestingly, the major growth effect of sGCalpha1 is independent of NO and cyclic guanosine monophosphate, a major mediator of the sGC enzyme. These data strongly suggest that sGCalpha1 acts in prostate cancer via a novel pathway that does not depend on sGCbeta1. Tissue studies show that sGCalpha1 expression is significantly elevated in advanced prostate cancer. Thus, sGCalpha1 may be an important mediator of the procarcinogenic effects of androgens.

Androgen induces expression of the multidrug resistance protein gene MRP4 in prostate cancer cells.

Multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs) may mediate multidrug resistance in tumor cells. Using a gene array analysis, we have identified MRP4 as an androgen receptor (AR)-regulated gene. Dihydrotestosterone induced MRP4 expression in both androgen-dependent and -independent LNCaP cells, whereas there was little detectable expression in PC-3 or normal prostate epithelial cells. Disruption of MRP4 expression renders LNCaP cells more sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of methotrexate but not etoposide. Analysis of human tissues showed detectable MRP4 expression only in metastatic prostate cancer. These results suggest that AR induction of MRP4 mediates resistance of PC cells to nucleotide-based chemotherapeutic drugs.

c-Jun enhancement of androgen receptor transactivation is associated with prostate cancer cell proliferation.

Androgens and the androgen receptor (AR) are involved in the growth and progression of prostate cancer. Our previous studies suggest that the proto-oncoprotein c-Jun is an AR coactivator that stimulates AR transactivation by mediating receptor dimerization and subsequent DNA binding. To study the physiological relevance of this c-Jun activity on AR, we have generated stable LNCaP cell lines expressing different levels of c-Jun. These cell lines exhibit a direct correlation between endogenous c-Jun levels and AR transcriptional activity and expression of endogenous androgen-regulated genes. Disruption by antisense RNA of endogenous c-Jun expression in LNCaP cells strongly compromises the androgen-dependent proliferation of these cells. In contrast, expression of a c-Jun mutant, which is fully active in coactivation of AR but deficient in AP-1 transactivation, significantly enhances androgen-dependent proliferation. This finding indicates that the coactivation function of c-Jun is sufficient for regulating androgen-induced growth of LNCaP cells. c-Jun also enhances AR transactivtion in androgen-independent LNCaP cells, which closely mimic hormone-refractory prostate cancer cells in gene expression and growth behavior. Importantly, siRNA-mediated repression of endogenous c-Jun expression results in markedly reduced growth of these cells, strongly suggesting an important biological role for c-Jun in hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

c-Jun potentiates the functional interaction between the amino and carboxyl termini of the androgen receptor.

The transactivation functions of the human androgen receptor (hAR) are regulated by several accessory factors that can be either positive or negative. One factor that has been previously shown to mediate hAR transactivation is the proto-oncoprotein c-Jun. The positive effect is a primary one, can be exerted by both endogenous and exogenous c-Jun, and requires multiple regions of c-Jun. However, the exact mechanism by which c-Jun exerts its enhancing function is unknown. In this study, we have used a mammalian two-hybrid system to ask if c-Jun influences the ligand-dependent amino- to carboxyl-terminal (N-to-C) interaction of hAR, which is thought to be responsible for the homodimerization of this receptor. Our results show that c-Jun enhances both hAR N-to-C terminal interaction and DNA binding in vitro. We have also tested a panel of c-Jun and c-Fos mutants for their activities on the N-to-C interaction, and the data demonstrate that the activities of these mutants parallel their activities on hAR transactivation. A mutation in the hAR activation function-2 (AF-2) abrogates N-to-C interaction, DNA binding, and transactivation, and these activities are not rescued by exogenous c-Jun. Interestingly, the p160 coactivator TIF2 can stimulate hAR N-to-C interaction, a finding consistent with the effect on hAR transactivation. These data strongly suggest that the hAR N-to-C interaction is the target of c-Jun action, and this activity requires a functional receptor AF-2.

p53 represses androgen-induced transactivation of prostate-specific antigen by disrupting hAR amino- to carboxyl-terminal interaction.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is highly overexpressed in prostate cancer. One important regulator of PSA expression is the androgen receptor (AR), the nuclear receptor that mediates the biological actions of androgens. AR is able to up-regulate PSA expression by directly binding and activating the promoter of this gene. We provide evidence here that that this AR activity is repressed by the tumor suppressor protein p53. p53 appears to exert its inhibition of human AR (hAR) by disrupting its amino- to carboxyl-terminal (N-to-C) interaction, which is thought to be responsible for the homodimerization of this receptor. Consistent with this, p53 is also able to block hAR DNA binding in vitro. Our previous data have shown that c-Jun can mediate hAR transactivation, and this appears to result from a positive effect on hAR N-to-C interaction and DNA binding. Interestingly, c-Jun is able to relieve the negative effects of p53 on hAR transactivation, N-to-C interaction, and DNA binding, demonstrating antagonistic activities of these two proteins. Importantly, a p53 mutation found in metastatic prostate cancer severely disrupts the p53 negative activity on hAR, suggesting that the inability of p53 mutants to down-regulate hAR is, in part, responsible for the metastatic phenotype.

c-Jun targets amino terminus of androgen receptor in regulating androgen-responsive transcription.

The human androgen receptor (hAR) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily and functions as a ligand-inducible transcription factor. We have previously proposed that c-Jun mediates the transcriptional activity of this receptor. The modular nature of hAR was used in this study to generate several fusions with the heterologous DNA-binding domain of the yeast transcription factor GAL4 in an attempt to identify the c-Jun-responsive domains within the receptor. Our results suggest that the target of c-Jun action is the amino terminus (AB region) of the receptor and that hAR amino acids 502-521 are critical for the c-Jun response. Additionally, amino acids 503-555 were shown to harbor an autonomous transactivation that is stimulated by c-Jun. Furthermore, we demonstrated that transcription intermediary factor-2 (TIF-2), a coactivator that acts on the activation function-2, stimulates the full-length hAR. These results suggest that c-Jun and TIF-2 can work together as coactivators on the hAR by targeting distinct portions of the receptor.

Ligand-free RAR can interact with the RNA polymerase II subunit hsRPB7 and repress transcription.

Upon binding retinoic acid (RA), the retinoic acid receptors (RARs) are able to positively and negatively regulate transcription. It has been shown that the DNA-binding domain and carboxy terminus of RARs are necessary for the ligand-dependent ability of the receptor to repress AP-1 transcriptional activity. A fusion of these two regions, shown to constitutively inhibit AP-1 activity, was used in a yeast two-hybrid screen to identify a novel hRARalpha-interacting protein. This protein, hsRPB7, a subunit of RNA polymerase II, interacts with hRARalpha in the absence of RA and addition of RA disrupts the interaction. Truncation analysis indicates that hsRPB7 specifically interacts with the hRARalpha DNA-binding domain. This interaction appears to compromise transcription, since overexpressed hRARalpha, in the absence of RA, is able to repress the activity of several RNA polymerase II-dependent activators, including AP-1 and the glucocorticoid receptor. This repression is relieved by transfected hsRPB7, strongly suggesting that ligand-free hRARalpha can block AP-1 activity by sequestering hsRPB7. The repression is dependent on the integrity of the hRARalpha DBD, since a mutation within the DBD blocks both the hRARalpha-hsRPB7 interaction and ligand-free hRARalpha repression of AP-1. These results provide evidence that non-liganded hRARalpha can regulate transcription by directly interacting with RNA polymerase II, and thus suggest a novel pathway by which hRARalpha can cross-talk with AP-1 and perhaps other families of transcriptional activators.

Ligand-activated retinoic acid receptor inhibits AP-1 transactivation by disrupting c-Jun/c-Fos dimerization.

In the presence of retinoic acid (RA), the retinoid receptors, retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR), are able to up-regulate transcription directly by binding to RA-responsive elements on the promoters of responsive genes. Liganded RARs and RXRs are also capable of down-regulating transcription, but, by contrast, this is an indirect effect, mediated by the interaction of these nuclear receptors not with DNA but the transcription factor activating protein-1 (AP-1). AP-1 is a dimeric complex of the protooncoproteins c-Jun and c-Fos and directly regulates transcription of genes important for cellular growth. Previous in vitro results have suggested that RARs can block AP-1 DNA binding. Using a mammalian two-hybrid system, we report here that human RARalpha (hRARalpha) can disrupt in a RA-dependent manner the homo- and heterodimerization properties of c-Jun and c-Fos. This inhibition of dimerization is cell specific, occurring only in those cells that exhibit RA-induced repression of AP-1 transcriptional activity. Furthermore, this mechanism appears to be specific for the RARs, since another potent inhibitor of AP-1 activity, the glucocorticoid receptor, does not affect AP-1 dimerization. Our data argue for a novel mechanism by which RARs can repress AP-1 DNA binding, in which liganded RARs are able to interfere with c-Jun/c-Jun homodimerization and c-Jun/c-Fos heterodimerization and, in this way, may prevent the formation of AP-1 complexes capable of DNA binding.

c-Fos dimerization with c-Jun represses c-Jun enhancement of androgen receptor transactivation.

The transcriptional activity of the human androgen receptor (hAR), like other nuclear receptors, is dependent on accessory factors. One such factor is c-Jun, which has been shown to have a selective function of mediating androgen receptor-dependent transactivation. This c-Jun activity is inhibited by c-Fos, another protooncoprotein that can dimerize with c-Jun to form the transcription factor AP-1. Here we show that c-jun mediates hAR-induced transactivation from the promoter of the androgen-regulated gene, human kallikrein-2 (hKLK2), and c-Fos blocks this activity. Using c-Fos truncation mutants and measuring hKLK2-dependent transcription, we have determined that the bZIP region of c-Fos is required and sufficient for inhibiting c-Jun enhancement of hAR transactivation. Further truncation analysis of the bZIP shows that the c-Fos dimerization function, mediated through the leucine zipper, is essential for the negative activity, whereas DNA binding, mediated through the basic region, is dispensable. These results suggest that heterodimerization by c-Fos with c-Jun blocks c-Jun's ability to enhance hAR-induced transactivation.

Identification of domains of c-Jun mediating androgen receptor transactivation.

The proto-oncoprotein c-Jun, when complexed with c-Fos, forms the climeric complex identified as AP-1 which regulates transcription directly by binding to AP-1-responsive genes. We have previously reported an indirect mechanism by which c-Jun is able to regulate transcription by stimulating androgen receptor transactivation in the absence of c-Fos or any apparent DNA binding. A series of c-Jun mutants were tested in order to characterize the domains of c-Jun responsible for this effect. The studies reported here indicate that a functional bZIP region and a portion of the N-terminal activation functions is necessary for c-Jun stimulation of androgen receptor transactivation. Testing c-Jun/v-Jun chimeras, we show that v-Jun is unable to stimulate androgen receptor transactivation and the effect is dependent on the c-Jun activation functions. c-Jun exhibits a bell-shaped activity on androgen receptor-mediated transactivation which appears to be distinct from c-Jun's transactivation ability. A c-Jun mutant deficient in transactivation is able to stimulate androgen receptor activity. These results indicate that c-Jun's transactivation ability can be separated from c-Jun's ability to stimulate the androgen receptor transactivation.

c-Jun can mediate androgen receptor-induced transactivation.

The proto-oncoprotein c-Jun forms as a heterodimer with c-Fos, the transcription factor AP-1. AP-1 regulates transcription through transactivation, a process requiring DNA binding. Here we report an indirect mechanism by which c-Jun can regulate transcription via the androgen receptor. In this process, c-Jun is able to support androgen receptor-mediated transactivation in the absence of an interaction with c-Fos or any apparent DNA binding. This positive effect of c-Jun was dose-dependent. Both exogenously added and endogenously induced c-Jun are able to act on the androgen receptor. Transactivation by the androgen receptor can undergo self-squelching, and this was relieved by transfected c-Jun. Using a time-course experiment, we provide evidence that the c-Jun effect is primary. c-Fos is able to block human androgen receptor activity in both the absence and presence of transfected c-Jun. Using a modified form of the yeast two-hybrid system, we show in Cos cells that c-Jun can interact with the DNA binding domain/hinge region (CD regions) of the androgen receptor. Therefore, we propose that c-Jun functions as a mediator for androgen receptor-induced transactivation.

pLEF, a novel vector for expression of glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins in mammalian cells.

An expression vector, pLEF, has been used to produce the intracellular domain (IC) of the human CD95 (Fas/APO-1) apoptosis receptor as a glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion protein in murine L929 fibroblasts. GST::CD95IC was affinity-purified in a single step using glutathione-Sepharose. Purification of GST::CD95IC from 32P-labelled L929 cells and cleavage with thrombin revealed that CD95IC was phosphorylated in vivo when produced as a GST fusion protein. Therefore, pLEF may facilitate the mapping of in vivo-modified sites of eukaryotic proteins.

Pure and functionally homogeneous recombinant retinoid X receptor.

Mouse retinoid X receptor alpha (RXR alpha) lacking the amino-terminal region A/B (RXR alpha delta AB) has been purified to more than 98% purity and functional homogeneity from bacterial and baculovirus-based recombinant expression systems with yields of 2-8 mg/liter of culture. The purified protein is soluble, and fluorescence quenching analysis demonstrated that it binds its cognate ligand 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA) stoichiometrically, and with high affinity. Compared with RXR delta AB expressed in COS-1 cells, bacterially and baculovirus-expressed proteins bind approximately 10 and 5 times less efficiently to direct repeat 1 (DR1) DNA elements, respectively, suggesting that animal cell-specific modification of RXR or interaction with other animal cell-specific factors may modulate DNA binding. 9-cis-RA did not stimulate DR1 binding of functional RXR delta AB expressed in Escherichia coli, Sf9 or COS-1 cells. The previously reported ligand effect that can be observed with in vitro made receptor may therefore be a consequence of a conformational stabilization of improperly folded in vitro synthesized protein.

In vitro activity of the transcription activation functions of the progesterone receptor. Evidence for intermediary factors.

The human progesterone receptor (hPR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor which contains two distinct transcription activation functions (TAFs). The full-length hPR and its individual TAFs were overexpressed in the baculovirus system and tested in a HeLa cell-derived in vitro transcription system. hPR stimulated transcription in a ligand-independent manner. When the two TAFs fused to the DNA-binding domain of GAL4 were tested, only the constitutive TAF-1 was functional in vitro, strongly suggesting that the transcriptional activity of baculovirus-expressed hPR comes solely from TAF-1. The GAL-TAF-1 activator was found to self-squelch without affecting basal transcription. A partially purified fraction relieved this self-squelching and, moreover, stimulated transcriptional activation by GAL-TAF-1, while having no influence on basal transcription. These results strongly suggest that the transcriptional activity of GAL-TAF-1 requires a factor(s) distinct from the general transcription factors.

Cell-specific inhibitory and stimulatory effects of Fos and Jun on transcription activation by nuclear receptors.

We investigated the effect of c-Fos and/or c-Jun co-expression on transcription activation by the progesterone (PR), glucocorticoid (GR) or androgen (AR) receptors using three different reporter genes and four different cell lines. We found that c-Fos could only inhibit, while c-Jun could either inhibit or further stimulate receptor-induced transcription. All these effects were receptor, promoter, and cell type specific, and, importantly, the steroid receptors had non-reciprocal effects on the transactivation ability of c-Jun in the presence or absence of c-Fos. Collectively, these results argue against heterodimer formation as a mechanism to explain the phenomena. Transactivation by the endogenous PR in T47D cells could be inhibited by increasing the intracellular c-Fos level with forskolin as well as by co-expressing c-Fos; no such effect was seen in MCF-7 cells. The inhibition by c-Fos of PR-induced transcription involves a competitive mechanism, which requires the presence of the intact c-Fos leucine zipper and is directed mainly at the transcription activation function (TAF) located in the PR and GR hormone binding domains (TAF-2). However, the co-expression of c-Fos did not alter the 'squelching/transcriptional interference' by the PR of estrogen receptor (ER)-induced transcription. Multiple mechanisms are discussed which may be involved in the crosstalk between the two signal transduction pathways.

Resistance to juvenile hormone and an insect growth regulator in Drosophila is associated with an altered cytosolic juvenile hormone-binding protein.

The Met mutant of Drosophila melanogaster is highly resistant to juvenile hormone III (JH III) or its chemical analog, methoprene, an insect growth regulator. Five major mechanisms of insecticide resistance were examined in Met and susceptible Met+ flies. These two strains showed only minor differences when penetration, excretion, tissue sequestration, or metabolism of [3H]JH III was measured. In contrast, when we examined JH III binding by a cytosolic binding protein from a JH target tissue, Met strains had a 10-fold lower binding affinity than did Met+ strains. Studies using deficiency-bearing chromosomes provide strong evidence that the Met locus controls the binding protein characteristics and may encode the protein. These studies indicate that resistance in Met flies results from reduced binding affinity of a cytosolic binding protein for JH III.

Evidence for a juvenile hormone receptor involved in protein synthesis in Drosophila melanogaster.

The larval fat body of newly eclosed adults of Drosophila melanogaster was found to contain a single major binding protein specific for juvenile hormone (JH). Binding to this protein was saturable, of high affinity, and specific for JH III. The protein has a subunit molecular weight (Mr) of 85,000, as determined by photoaffinity labeling. The same or similar JH-binding protein was found in larval fat body and cuticle of third instar larvae and in male accessory glands and heads of newly eclosed adults. It was not found in several other tissues in adults. Male accessory gland cytosol from wild-type flies was found to contain a single binder with a dissociation constant (KD) of 6.7 nM for JH III; a binder in similar preparations from the methoprene-tolerant (Met) mutant had a KD value 6-fold higher. JH III stimulated protein synthesis in glands cultured in vitro, but this effect was reduced in Met flies as compared to wild-type flies, establishing a correlation between JH binding and biological activity of the hormone. In addition, glandular protein accumulation during the first 2 days of adult development was less in Met flies than in wild-type flies. These results strongly suggest that the binding protein we have identified mediates this JH effect in male accessory glands and thus is acting as a JH receptor.